Jason Geary has his mother confined in a secure, climate-controlled chamber. She resides in an enormous enclosure weighing around four tons when fully contained. vat And is given a rigorous regimen of flour and water every four hours.
Jason happily mentions that she is approximately 45 years old and goes by the name 'Sidney'.
Of course, he is referring to his 'mother' dough – the sourdough starter that lies at the core of his 119-year-old family bakery in Leicestershire.
Perhaps it should be called "grandfather dough" since Sidney was named after Jason’s deceased grandpa, the person who taught him his trade, and it truly is something remarkable.
It resembles a volcano, oozing out a thick, adhesive mixture of pale bubbles that appear to be struggling to break free from the spacious vessel confining them.
Each day, Jason and his crew set aside an amount equivalent to filling four family-sized vehicles—this mixture is later combined with flour to initiate fermentation for the upcoming loaf production. "This process reminds me of a real-life Tamagotchi," remarks Jason, who is 53 years old, smiling broadly. "Do you remember those? It needs regular feeding and care, lots of attention and affection."
'If not done correctly, it will fail to cultivate the proper bacteria, leading to a catastrophe for the bread.'
You might not be familiar with Jason or even his mom Dough, but their bread is well-known: each week, one million loaves of it are sold across various supermarkets throughout the nation.
In just a few brief years, Jason's Sourdough has surged to become the fourth-largest brand nationally, following behind Warburtons, Hovis, and Kingsmill.
However, this isn’t an ordinary loaf. The excitement around it has turned into an obsession for bread enthusiasts, becoming a mark of prestige in middle-class households.
On TikTok, numerous videos showcase barren supermarket aisles due to people lamenting the scarcity of bread, available in seven different types, which frequently sells out. Many confess to purchasing large quantities whenever it’s in stock and storing them in freezers to ensure they always have some on hand.
What sets Jason's Sourdough apart from others?
For £2 each, these loaves are quite different compared to the handcrafted breads found at local bakeries. Those special breads come with soft, airy centers and crisp golden crusts, selling anywhere from £4 up to as much as £13 for a 2kg sourdough loaf from Gail’s bakery in London.
It can never be labeled as 'sourfaux,'—the term used for affordable supermarket sourdough loaves that employ synthetic yeast, preservatives, and sugar to enhance their longevity. Instead, Jason aims to produce genuine sourdough for everyone: utilizing just three fundamental components to capture the desired tartness while scaling up production significantly to make it widely available.
His aim was to shift a small segment of the British population away from conventional bread filled with chemicals and preservatives towards authentic sourdough, he explains.
I aimed to make sourdough part of my daily routine rather than reserving it for occasional use, such as dinner or a weekend indulgence.
As the popularity of sourdough in Britain keeps growing—part of the broader shift away from highly processed foods towards more natural and healthy options—it’s not surprising to observe that specialty breads are now outperforming sandwich loaves.
Sourdough stands apart from other types of bread as it utilizes wild yeast and bacteria present in the starter instead of adding yeast for leavening. This process relies on a gradual, natural fermentation method to achieve rising.
It contains only three basic components: flour, water, and salt — which is associated with improved cardiovascular health and better regulation of blood sugar levels. Additionally, the presence of probiotics is believed to enhance digestion.
The British sourdough market is projected to hit £230 million by 2030, with annual spending increasing by 10 percent each year.
The secret to reaching a wider audience, as Jason learned, lay in tweaking the product slightly. His primary task was decreasing the size of the holes—caused by gas bubbles during fermentation—that appeared in his sourdough loaves.
If you’re preparing toast early in the day and applying butter, the last thing you’d want is for it to seep through onto your pants or skirt," he explains. "To reduce these issues, we aimed at crafting bread with a tighter crumb structure. While some butter may still make its way through, it won’t spoil your attire.
He was equally set on having his sourdough sold pre-sliced — a delight for those who have struggled with stiff, impenetrable loaves using a bread knife. Additionally, he paid close attention to the crust’s texture. Given supermarkets demand a five-day freshness period, Jason’s loaf needs to bake for a shorter duration compared to traditional sourdough, reducing the risk of drying out but sacrificing some of that characteristic crispy exterior.
Jason isn’t concerned about the softer crust; he mentions that, similar to numerous fans, he likes to toast his sourdough, claiming this process ‘refreshes the components’.
Seeing how big the brand has become, five years after he launched it two weeks before the Covid-19 lockdown, is, he says, 'very surreal'.
Currently, he has 770 employees, including 650 bakers, working at his two - and shortly to be three - multimillion-pound bakeries located in the East Midlands. The business boasts an annual revenue surpassing £67 million.
However, the Geary family’s ambitions were not initially as extensive. In 1906, Jason's great-grandfather, Charles, established their initial bakery from their residence in Ratby, a small community close to Leicester. After him, Jason's grandfather, Sidney, managed the business before passing it down to his own father, also named Charles. Raised in the very same house, Jason mentions that baking had been ‘a part of the family heritage’.
'I would return home from school daily, leave my bag behind, put on my white clothes, and head over to assist in the bakery.' To him, the delight of his trade lies in the transformation process. He confesses, 'It has an enchanting and enigmatic quality to it.'
'Take a group of ingredients, combine them, and after many hours, you'll have created something amazing. This thrill remains for me even now.'
In 2005, he assumed the role of Master Baker and, aiming for growth, relocated the family enterprise to a new location in the neighboring area of Barrow upon Soar in 2009.
By 2013, Geary’s was supplying bread to Aldi and had expanded to include 83 employees. In 2017, they committed £15 million towards establishing a new location in Leicester.
The next year, inspiration hit him. "I believed there was an unmet demand in the market," he explains.
Sourdough was becoming popular, yet not everybody has the time—or the funds—to visit a bakery for their bread. I aimed to prepare it authentically, using traditional methods, but also distribute it widely.
The brand rapidly expanded from Jason's 'Straight-Up Sourdough' to include rolls, high-protein bread, and the beloved 'Ciabattin,' which blends elements of ciabatta and sourdough for a perfect fit in a toaster.
Today, at an industrial area close to Leicester, the bakery remains bustling.
The procedure begins with Sidney, whom Jason obtained from another baker 15 years back, at an age of 30 years.
The climate conditions like temperature and humidity, along with our method for fermenting the final dough, form part of the trade secret," he explains. "Each person has their own distinct approach.
The procedure concludes once the bread loaves have been cooled, cut into slices, inspected using automated cameras, and then sent for packaging.
It's an exceptionally smooth operation, and it’s slated to be duplicated at a new £35 million bakery facility in Leicester, which will double production starting next month.
Regarding the person in charge, he enjoys taking the train to London and walking around, checking out bakeries and gathering inspiration.
I don’t merely consume our bread; I purchase various types of sourdough," he remarks. "I enjoy talking with other bakers, observing their techniques and methods.
No matter what unfolds for this family enterprise, it appears destined -- much like Jason's store-bought sourdough -- to continually grow and prosper.
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